1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an insect capture device and more particularly to an insect capture device that utilizes a non-drying, tacky, insect-catching adhesive and that is adapted to be readily assembled for use by a user and, therefore, can be provided in kit form.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mankind has long been plagued by flying pests and insects, such as flies, mosquitoes, gnats and the like. One approach taken to alleviate the inconvenience caused by such insects has been the use of some hand-held instrument, such as a flyswatter or rolled newspaper, to hit an insect which has alighted on a surface of some type. However, the use of these devices can create more problems than they cure. For example, paintings, expensive drapes, and other valuable objects can be damaged when the insect is swatted thereon. Additionally, a swatted insect will tend to leave insect particulate, thereby creating an unsanitary condition unless removed.
Aerosol insect sprays are another means by which a person may relieve himself of the annoyance created by insects. However, such sprays also have drawbacks, including the creation of possible health hazards to humans and animals, possible harmful effects upon delicate fabrics and, again, the existence of the unsanitary conditions that arise from insect remains.
More recently, there have been used insect catchers of the type comprising a transparent structure defining a hollow space, the surface of which is coated with a tacky adhesive. The hollow is placed over the insect and, when the insect takes to flight, it comes into contact with the adhesive and becomes trapped therein. Representative examples of such devices are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,449,856 and 2,437,447.
While such adhesively lined insect catching devices have been found to be generally more effective than flyswatters and insect sprays, several difficulties have been encountered which affect their use in a practical sense. For example, the handle of some of these devices is constructed to lie generally coplanar with the adhesive-lined surface. As a result, use of the device can, at times, be quite difficult if the insect has alighted on a ceiling or some similarly hard-to-reach surface. Even those devices which use a cup-shaped, adhesive-lined member to which a handle is angularly attached are found to be wanting; the outer margin surrounding the adhesive-coated surface is difficult to place flush with the surface upon which the insect has alighted. As a result, a gap produced between the device and surface creates an avenue of escape which the insect may use to the chagrin and frustration of the user.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, most known devices of this type are, for the most part, economically impractical. Their cost of manufacture has been a major factor in keeping devices of this nature off the commercial market. Thus, insofar as is known, efforts to design an economical, lightweight, practical insect capture device, devoid of the limitations discussed, have not met with success to date.